The Louis Fanoun
Hodgkin's Lymphoma Program

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Friends and Family Share Their Memories

The funniest thing I remember and think about often is the "transaction" we were putting together to take Louie back home to Utica before he was able to receive the clinical trial drug in NYC. My willingness to take him back home also meant that as soon he was allowed to start the trial he would need a ride back to NYC. Apparently, he wanted to secure a round trip ride and was concerned about being left in Utica without a way back... Funny moment in time I am both sad & glad at having been a small part of.
-Diane Fanoun, Louie's sister.


On January twenty fourth
For many a sad day
A wonderful loving father
Had to go away

He fought the battle
As best he could
With gumption and hope
As old Louie should

He loved his kids
So he put up a fight
Louie put forth everything
To make things right

To fight and stay
And live another day
Became more difficult
For Louie's body to obey

A man of pride, a man of love
A man of courage
A man beloved

Louis Gabriel went to sleep one night
No pain, no fear
No suffering in sight

An angel he became
To those he loved
Most importantly his daughters
Louie's treasure, Louie's loves

As he watches you from above
Mourn, sadness and tears
Remember the good times
Throughout all these years

You gave him life
Brought joy everyday
Two amazing children
Louis grateful in every possible way

Love so strong
Remember every day
Dad will always love you
And you will see him again one day

— Kristen Camilleri, a friend of Linda and Amanda


My dad loved Brooklyn. He used to tell us about the days when he was 16 and he would drive down to the city to sell t-shirts at concerts at Madison Square Garden with his cousins and run around the streets of Brooklyn visiting family. When my sister and I moved there he would love to hear about our Brooklyn adventures and learn how much the city had changed since he was younger.

The year he was diagnosed with Lymphoma I signed up on a whim to run the Brooklyn Half Marathon with friends. He cheerfully encouraged my training schedule- of course never failing to tell me to "be careful!" And "call me when you're home!" on my way out the door for a run. The following year, as we battled his cancer during the last weeks, I decided to register again for the Brooklyn half, hopeful at that point that he would have made a recovery, or at least gained some time, with the clinical trial drug.

To our devastation, it didn't turn out that way. I was determined to make a difference in some way and there was no better opportunity to do so than for me to raise money to support a cause that was truly beneficial to my dad throughout his Battle. With ICAN my dad received amazing support from Marcia Horn. She cleared up his doubts about treatment and set him on the right path to a more appropriate, aggressive treatment for his refractory form of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Marcia and her team at ICAN also guided us to the best clinical trial and advised us how to approach the process.

As I trained for the 2015 Brooklyn Half, with the encouragement and support of my family and friends and a great platform such as CrowdRise I was able to raise over $2000 for the Hodgkin's Lymphoma program created in my dad's name. I am beyond confident that this cause will serve families who are struggling against a stubborn disease by providing them with resources and guide them to the best form of treatment.

Running isn’t the most entertaining or pleasurable sport, and when you have 13.1 miles ahead of you, the journey can get a bit arduous. As I ran mile after mile, I could think only about how hard my dad fought his battle against Lymphoma and how truly determined he was to defeat it. If he was able to wake up every day from the moment he was diagnosed and have the courage to face the path ahead of him, I thought to myself, 13.1 miles - even with torrential downpour, sore knees, exhaustion at mile 10 - is a walk in the park. I ran every mile with a smile on my face knowing that he was cheering me on and would have been so proud to have seen me cross the finish line. 

Best, 

— Amanda 


Amanda's Brooklyn Half Marathon in Honor of my Dad

Amanda-Half Marathon

I really missed my Dad while I was watching Amanda run the 2015 Brooklyn half marathon. It was so sad thinking that I couldn't call him to tell him how great she did or send him pictures.

I remembered how proud of her he was when she ran it last year and how he smiled when he saw the pictures of her. He always supported us in everything we did and I know he would have been very happy that she raised so much money for such a good cause.

Amanda and I both hope that the Louis Fanoun Hodgkin's Lymphoma program at ICAN helps other victims of this terrible disease and their families.  We don't want anybody to have to lose their loved ones like we lost our Dad.

A big thank you to everybody who donated to the program and supported my sister run this race in memory of our Dad.

— Linda Fanoun

To submit your own tribute about Lou here, please email us at ICANCancerPrograms@askican.org and we will post it within 24 hours. Please include your phone number.

The Louis Fanoun Hodgkin's Lymphoma Program
is a vital part of ICAN's Cancer Patient Advocacy and Clinical Trials Program Advocacy Services.

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